EVIDENCE OF GREEN TOBACCO SICKNESS AND ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN FARMERS IN PUNJAB PAKISTAN

Abstract

Introduction: The tobacco production generates direct and indirect employment for the than 4.9 million people in Pakistan.3 This is reasons that the farmers do not want to quit tobacco production in spite of manual labour, hard season for growth, removal of shoots and flowers manually. Methodology: It is descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted in rural Punjab in order to evaluate green tobacco sickness (GTS) in the farmers. We also want to evaluate the effects of these decease on the farmers. Data has been collected from the farmers during the harvest season. Different socio demographic variables including lifestyle, health, intoxication, pesticide/nicotine exposure has been collected from the farmers. Results: Regarding lifestyle habits and health conditions, only a minority of participants reported chronic diseases. Specifically, 4 (12.90%) tobacco farmers reported depression, 1 (3.23%) reported both depression and obesity, and 1 reported asthma. Most of the participants did not consume alcohol, and only 2 individuals reported being smokers, consuming 10 to 20 cigarettes per day. Discussion: 13 (41.94%) of the 31 tobacco farmers in the study used homemade measures to prevent or alleviate symptoms. These included boldo tea (3 farmers; 9.68%), mint tea (1; 3.23%), soft drinks (2; 6.45%), cachaça (2; 6.45%), water (2; 6.45%), and fruit salt drinks (2; 6.45%). Conclusion: The study concluded that the tobacco harvesting negatively effects the health, physical well being and intoxication to the farmers. It is the need of the time that the farmer should be educated in terms of intoxication of nicotine and pesticide. They should be made aware of the benefits of PPE in order to improve the quality of life.